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Benjamin Mardell

Ben Mardell, professor in the early childhood programs in the Graduate School of Education, is currently on leave from Lesley to serve as the co-principal investigator of the Pedagogy of Play (PoP) project at Project Zero, a researcher organization at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. PoP aims to help educators bring play and playfulness into the heart of school learning experiences. Currently, Project Zero researchers are collaborating with educators at the International School of Billund (Denmark) to create tools and practices around playful learning. The project is expanding into South Africa to understanding how playfulness can l support learning in a variety of cultural contexts. More information about PoP.

About his work, Ben says: I am interested in all aspects of early childhood education. Children as citizens—the idea that young children are capable of creating and communicating complex ideas and that adding their voices to civic discourse enriches classrooms and communities—is the focus of much of my current work. Using this lens to intentionally combine curriculum and professional development with advocacy has led to exciting results (see Places to Play in Providence: A Guide to the City By Our Youngest Citizens). My research also involves creating learning groups in the classroom and staff room.

Sachs, J., Mardell, B. & Boni, M. (2014). Storytelling, story acting, and literacy in the Boston Public Schools: An Interview with Jason Sachs, Ben Mardell, and Marina Boni. American Journal of Play 6(2), 173-189.

Krechevsky, M., Mardell, B., Filippini, T., and Gardner, H. (2012). The power of the group: Making learning and learners visible in early childhood classrooms. In B. Falk (ed.), In defense of childhood. New York: Teachers College Press.

Mardell, B., Fiore, L., Boni, M. & Tonschell, M. (2012). The rights of children: Policies to best serve three-, four- and five-year-olds in public schools. In T. Swim (ed.), The Hope for audacity: Recapturing optimism and civility in education. New York: Hampton Press.

Selected Presentations

Mardell, B. (2014). Using documentation to support learning: Playing Malaguzzi’s ping pong game of curriculum. St. Paul’s School: Sao Paolo, Brazil.

Mardell, B. (2014). Children are citizens: Enriching curriculum, professional development and advocacy in early childhood education. Invited keynote address for the Massachusetts Association for the Education of Young Children’s Annual Conference: Westford, MA. M

Mardell, B. (2014). Storytelling/story acting: A joyful way to promote children’s language and literacy development and classroom community. Massachusetts Association for the Education of Young Children’s Annual Conference: Westford, MA.